HRPT Downlink

In the fall of 1996, an High Resoultion Picture Transmission ground station was obtained from GTI Electronics for receiving AVHRR imagery from the NOAA-12 and NOAA-14 systems. Six to nine images over the northern hemisphere can be downloaded in a 24 hour time period. Because TMAI is located near the geographic center of the North American Continent, images can be collected that include the west and east coasts, north to Hudson Bay, and south to Central America. Images received from this ground station have been used to create the Daily Sea Surface Temperature Report. TMAI also has the capability to calculate NDVI and create multi-day maximum value composite images for critical agriculture areas within the United States.

Field Equipment used for Research

• Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) Personnel Spectrometer II (380-1075nm); 512 bands
• ASD FieldSpec FR Spectroradiometer (350-2500nm); 2,250 bands from the ultra-violet to the middle-infrared
• Garmin Survey 100 GPS (global positioning system) receivers
• Li-Cor LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer
• Decagon Sunfleck and AccuPAR Ceptometers for light interception measurement
• Decagon First Growth digital cover camera
• Applied Microsystems, Ltd. Aquatic Fluorometer
• Conventional field measurement equipment (i.e., compasses, clinometers, tapes, etc.)